UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA. 


AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

BERKELEY,  CAL. 
E.  W.  HILGARD,  Director.  BULLETIN  No.  106. 

Distribution  of  Seeds,  Plants  and  Scions. 

DECEMBER,   1894. 

B3r  E.  J.  WICKSON,  Associate  Professor  of  Agriculture. 

In  announcing  another  distribution  of  seeds,  plants  and  cuttings  it  is 
desired  to  emphasize  the  purpose  in  view  and  the  conditions  which  gov- 
ern it: 

First:  Material  is  distributed  to  voluntary  experimenters  to  determine 
as  widely  as  possible  its  value  under  diverse  conditions  of  soil,  climate  and 
treatment.  For  this  reason  those  who  receive  seeds,  plants  or  cuttings 
are  expected  to  report  results  to  us,  not  only  once,  but  from  time  to  time 
until  the  success  or  failure  of  the  growth  may  be  considered  as  demon- 
strated. 

Second:  We  are  obliged  to  confine  our  distribution  each  year  to  the 
material  mentioned  in  the  bulletin  for  that  year.  We  are  not,  as  a  rule, 
able  to  maintain  a  stock  of  the  same  material  year  after  year. 

Third:  We  offer  to  experimenters  things  which  are  wholly  new  or  which 
in  our  judgment  have  not  been  sufficiently  distributed  to  determine  their 
value.  We  do  not  conduct  a  free  distribution  of  seeds  or  plants  which 
can  be  obtained  from  seed  stores  or  nurseries.  We  do  not  desire  to  re- 
ceive applications  for  common  garden  seeds,  fruit  trees  or  ornamentals. 
We  cannot  supply  them. 

Fourth:  We  desire  applicants  to  state  definitely  what  they  wish  to  try, 
after  perusal  of  the  bulletin.  We  do  not  desire  applications  "for  anything 
that  will  do  well  in  this  locality."  The  experimenter  should  have  a  definite 
object  in  view  in  his  trial  of  plants,  and  should  only  apply  for  what  com- 
mands his  interest. 

Fifth:  We  cannot  undertake  distribution  to  citizens  of  other  States, 
except  where  desirable  exchanges  are  offered. 

Sixth:  We  require  the  applicant  to  pay  a  small  amount  for  each  thing 
received,  partly  to  bear  the  cost  of  distribution,  but  chiefly  as  a  guaranty 
that  he  has  not  merely  an  idle  desire  for  what  can  be  had  for  nothing,  but 
intends  to  make  trial  for  a  definite  end  and  will  report  results  to  us. 

Terms. — For  the  reasons  above  stated  applicants  are  requested  to  send 
the  amount  specified  in  connection  with  each  description  below  to  meet 
the  expenses  of  packing  and  postage.  If  they  desire  seeds  sent  by  express 
applicants  need  not  send  the  amounts  specified  for  postage,  hut  all  orders 
for  seeds  by  express  must  be  accompanied  by  a  remittance  of  25  cents  to 
pay  for  packing.  Express  charges  are  paid  by  the  recipient.  Applications 
may  be  made  for  one  or  more  kinds  of  seeds,  but  an  applicant  should  not  order 
more  than  one  package  of  a,  kind.  If  the  supply  of  any  kind  of  seed  be- 
comes exhausted,  the  money  will  be    returned,  unless   a   second  choice   is 


mentioned  by  the  sender.  Postal  notes  are  requested  instead  of  stamps 
whenever  practicable.  Any  surplus  left  after  filling  orders  will,  as  far  as 
possible,  be  returned  to  the  senders,  deducting  letter  postage. 

Forage  Plants. 

Saghalin  Polygonum:  Polygonum  Saghalinense. — The  summer  of  1893 
in  Europe  was  one  of  unusual  drouth.  A  writer  in  the  Paris  Figaro  of 
July  22  of  that  year  said:  "  Never  within  the  memory  of  living  men  has 
it  been  so  hot  and  especially  so  dry  as  during  this  ill  starred  year.  The 
dreadful  African  heat  has  left  not  a  handful  of  grass  for  the  cattle,  causing 
them  to  die  off  like  flies. "  In  several  European  countries  recourse  was 
had  to  the  leaves  of  trees  to  save  the  cattle.  In  the  midst  of  such  disas- 
ter it  was  noticed  that  the  Saghalin  polygonum,  a  large  leafed  ornamental 
plant,  maintained  its  growth  during  the  drouth  and  was  readily  eaten  by 
the  cattle.  So  marked  was  the  phenomenon  that  the  fact  was  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  of  Paris  by  M.  Duchartre,  the 
statement  being  based  upon  the  experience  of  M.  Doumet  Adanson  at 
Balcine.  The  matter  was  immediately  taken  up  by  the  French  agricul- 
tural societies  and  French  journals,  and  before  the  close  of  1893  the  fame 
of  the  plant  filled  the  world.  The  French  conclusion  after  due  investiga- 
tion was  given  in  these  words:  "Had  this  plant  been  in  general  cultiva- 
tion we  should  not  have  suffered  one-half  the  evils  which  have  befallen  us 
through  the  fearfully  dry  weather  we  have  endured."  So  great  was  the 
demand  for  the  plant  from  all  the  arid  regions  of  the  world  that  the  price 
quoted  to  us  by  Parisian  seedsmen  in  October,  1893,  was  $2.50  each  for 
root  pieces  containing  five  or  six  eyes. 

The  plant  which  thus  came  to  fame  as  a  drouth  resisting  forage  plant  was 
discovered  by  a  Russian  explorer  on  the  island  of  Saghalin,  which  lies  in 
the  sea  of  Okhotsk  between  Japan  and  Russia.  Its  attractive  appear- 
ance in  the  Javelin  a" Acclimatation  of  Moscow  in  1869  led  to  its  distribution 
as  an  ornamental  foliage  plant  in  Europe  and  in  this  country.  Its  indus- 
trial claims  were,  however,  unthought  of  until  the  European  drouth  of 
1893,  as  described  above.  It  already  has  several  common  names:  "Si- 
berian persicary,"  "  Saghalin  knot  weed,"  Saghalin  polygonum."  etc.  It 
grows  to  a  height  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  with  many  large  leaves  eight  or  ten 
inches  in  length  and  half  as  broad.  Though  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  shrub 
its  stems  are  herbaceous.  The  young  shoots  are  sometimes  eaten  like  aspar- 
agus and  the  young  leaves  are  boiled  like  spinach.  It  is  claimed  the  plant 
will  give  four  cuttings  of  forage,  each  of  three  feet  high,  during  a  summer 
and  would  thus  yield  25  tons  per  acre  of  green  fodder  at  each  cutting. 

We  obtained  roots  and  seeds  of  the  plant  from  several  sources  last  win- 
ter, and  have  had  it  growing  in  our  garden  during  the  last  summer.  The 
plants  are  still  too  young  and  weak  to  show  their  best  growth,  but  they 
have  done  well  and  produced  a  large  amount  of  foliage.  The  Saghalin 
polygonum  is  a  coarse  plant  and  is  not  advocated  as  a  substitute  for  well- 
known  forage  plants  where  the  latter  are  satisfactory.  For  dry  lands 
scant  of  useful  growth,  the  plant  is  commended  for  trial.  It  has  a  peren- 
nial root  which  withstands  both  drouth  and  freezing  of  the  ground.  We 
have  imported  a  supply  of  seed  from  Japan.  The  seed  should  be  started  as  is 
usual  with  tomato  or  cabbage  seed  and  the  plants  set  out  (after  danger  of 
frost  is  over)  about  three  feet  apart  each  way.  Thus  planted,  the  foliage 
should  completely  cover  the  ground  when  the  plants  are  well  established. 
When  the  growth  is  about  three  feet  high,  it  should  be  cut  even  with  the 
ground,  and  another  growth  from  the  root  will  appear.  Though  the  plant 
is  liable  to  lose  its  top  growth  by  frost,  the  roots  will  endure  the  hardest 
freezing.     Seeds  in  packets  5c.  each. 

Australian  Salt  Bush  (Atriplex  semibactatum). — We  have  had  under 
cultivation  for  the  last  twelve  years,  from  seed  sent  by  Baron  von  Mueller, 
several  species  of  atriplex,  which  are  called  "  salt  bushes  "  in  Australia. 
We  have  distributed  the  seed  and  plants  to  a  limited  extent,  but  it  is  only 
recent  observation  at  our  branch  station  at  Tulare  which  seems  strongly 


to  commend  one  species  at  least  as  specially  adapted  to  certain  conditions 
in  this  State.  This  observation,  and  our  investigations  into  the  food  value 
of  the  plant,  are  described  in  detail  in  Bulletin  105,  just  issued,  and  of 
which  copies  will  be  mailed  to  all  applicants.  In  brief,  it  may  be  said 
that  Atriplex  semibaccafum,  which  Baron  von  Mueller  considers  one  of  the 
two  best  of  the  salt  bushes,  has  shown  a  wonderful  growth  on  soil  in  Tulare 
county  which  is  so  strongly  alkaline  that  it  will  not  sustain  other  useful 
growth.  Small  plants  set  in  alkali  spots  have  attained  a  thick,  matted 
growth  sixteen  feet  in  diameter  in  a  single  season.  The  crop,  calculated 
on  the  basis  of  weighing  the  cut  from  a  small  area,  should  reach  twenty 
tons  of  green  feed,  or  five  tons  dry,  from  an  acre,  and  probably  two  such 
cuts  can  be  made  each  season.  Three  parts  of  this  forage  mixed  with  one 
part  of  common  hay  is  readily  eaten  by  horses  and  eattle.  Sheep  and  hogs 
eat  the  green  plant  freely.  As  shown  in  detail  in  Bulletin  105,  the  nutri- 
tive value  of  the  salt  bush  is  very  satisfactory,  and  the  importance  of  such 
a  plant  for  alkaline  soils  which  have  been  hitherto  sterile  and  unproduct- 
ive, can  hardly  be  overestimated.  We  desire  to  have  it  tried  on  alkali 
soils  everywhere,  in  order  that  its  climatic  and  other  adaptations  may  be 
definitely  determined.  G-row  the  plants  at  first  in  boxes  or  garden  bed, 
covering  very  lightly,  and  plant  out  the  seedlings  several  feet  apart,  when 
a  few  inches  high,  on  alkali  spots.  This  is  the  surest  way  to  get  the  plant 
established,  although  if  the  seed  is  scattered  on  the  surface  of  the  alkali 
soil  before  a  rain,  it  germinates  readily  when  the  heat  is  adequate.  When 
the  plant  once  gets  a  hold  on  the  soil,  it  promises  to  set  the  ground  very 
thickly  from  self-sown  seeds  which  are  produced  in  abundance.  We  send 
seeds  at  5c  per  packet. 

Jesuits'  Tea  (Psoralen  glandulosa).— ^This  plant  is  a  native  of  Chile,  and 
for  the  seed  we  are  indebted  to  Don.  Nathaniel  Miers-Cox  of  Santiago,  who 
describes  it  as  "  a  bush  growing  in  the  gullies  arud  other  water  courses 
which  are  dry  in  summer.  It  is  valuable  as  food  for  cattle  and  horses,  and 
as  a  stomachic  medicine.  Its  flowers  and  leaves  are  an  agreeable  substi- 
tute for  tea."  John  Smith,  in  his  "  Dictionary  of  Economic  Plants,"  says 
it  is  used  in  Chile  as  tea,  but  it  appears  to  be  more  valued  for  its  vermi- 
fuge properties  than  as  a  pleasant  beverage.  In  the  Mauritius  it  has  ac- 
quired some  reputation  as  a  remedy  for  diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs. 
The  plant  is  a  trifoliate,  bushy  shrub  of  the  bean  family.  It  should  be 
planted  in  waste  places  to  determine  its  value  as  a  browse  for  stock,  but 
should  be  protected  from  animals  at  first,  until  it  gets  established.  One 
plant  to  each  applicant  by  mail  25c  each. 

The  Flat  Pea  (Lathyrus  sylvestris). — Many  reports  from  California 
growers  indicate  that  this  plant  may  prove  of  much  value  in  some  parts  of 
the  State.  It  does  not  succeed  in  the  presence  of  the  greatest  heat  and 
drouth,  but  it  maintains  heavy  growth  with  very  little  moisture.  The  flat 
pea  is  a  perennial  legume  having  much  the  style  of  growth  of  the  "  ever- 
lasting pea."  It  forms  a  dense  mat  of  haulm  or  vine  which  completely 
covers  the  ground,  the  stems  reaching  a  length  of  four  feet  or  more.  It 
keeps  green  all  summer  without  irrigation  in  this  locality.  After  cutting, 
a  second  growth  starts  at  once.  Analysis  of  the  plant  made  at  this  sta- 
tion (of  which  a  copy  will  be  sent  on  application)  gives  it  high  nutritive 
value. 

According  to  the  latest  European  experience,  the  flat  pea  is  most  read- 
ily eaten  by  cattle  and  horses  as  hay,  though  they  will  usually  acquire  a 
taste  for  the  green  plant.  Pigs  and  sheep  eat  it  readily  when  green.  It 
is  specially  commended  for  maintaining  the  milk  flow  in  cows,  and  it  does 
not  bloat  them.  In  Germany  the  flat  pea  is  not  recommended  for  wet 
soils.  Its  roots  are  said  to  penetrate  like  alfalfa  roots,  and  it  is  not  desir- 
able to  have  bottom  water  nearer  than  fifteen  feet  from  the  surface.  The 
plant  is  for  uplands,  and  preferably  for  sandy  soils. 

The  flat  pea  has  not  borne  seed  with  us  as  yet,  and  we  distribute  it  by 
means  of  root  sets.     A  part,  at  least,  of  the  root  sets  should  be  carefully 


The  Square  Pod  Pea — Lotus   Tetragonolobvs. 


planted  in  the  garden  or  field  corner  where  they  can  be  watched  and  pro- 
tected the  first  year.  If  the  growth  be  satisfactory,  the  roots  can  be 
planted  here  and  there  in  waste  places  the  following  year.  We  will  send  a 
small  package  of  roots  postpaid  for  10c. 

Other  Forage  Plants. — Through  the  visits  of  stockmen  to  our  experi- 
ment grounds,  and  the  exhibition  of  our  collection  of  forage  plants  at  the 
Midwinter  Fair  and  at  meetings  of  farmers  and  dairymen,  there  has  arisen 
renewed  demand  for  seeds  of  plants  which  we  have  commended  for  dry 
lands.  We  do  not  present  any  of  these  plants  as  fully  satisfactory  on  dry 
lands  nor  for  use  where,  by  irrigation  or   occurrence   of    naturally   moist 


Bianch  of  Saghalin  Polygonum. 


land,  better  plants, 
such  as  alfalfa,  etc. , 
can  be  grown.     We 
have    found   that 
plants    which   best 
endure   arid  condi- 
tions   are    for    the 
most    part    coarse 
plants,    which    are 
chiefly  valuable  be- 
cause  they    accept 
conditions    which 
finer  plants  reject, 
but  even  they  have 
their   limits   of   en- 
durance,   for    heat 
and  drouth  may  be 
so  extreme  and  pro- 
tracted   that    they 
fail.     We  make  this 
e  x  p  1  a  n  a  t  ion  be- 
cause  some   of  our 
correspondents  de- 
sire   to    substitute 
these   for    better 
plants '  which  their 
soil    and    moisture 
conditions   favor, 
and    others  expect 
them  to  succeed  in 
situations    actually 
desert.     For  neith- 
er uses  do  we  com- 
mend the  plants  we 
shall    name    below, 
but  we   can   assure 
our  correspondents 
that   of  the   forage 
plants   we    have 
grown  experiment- 
ally  and  distribut- 
ed,   the     following 
are  the  most  satis- 
factory   for   dry 
lands: 
1 — Tall  Oat  grass 
(,  U'rhenathernm  ave- 
naceum). 

2 — Awnless  Brome 
grass  (Bromus  iyier- 

lii  is). 

3  —  S  c  h  r  a  d  e  r  s 
Brome  grass  (Br<>- 
unioloides). 
Japanese 


mils 
4- 
Wheat  grass  (Agro 
pyrum  japonicum). 


5— Many-flowered  Millet  grass  (Milium  Multiflorum). 

6— Hairy-flowered  Paspalum  (Paspalum  dUataiitm). 

7— Texas  Blue  grass  (Poo  aradmifera). 

Of  any  of  the  first  six  named  we  will  send  seed  at  5c  each  per  package 


6 

No.  7  grows  best  from  the  roots,  of  which  we  send  a  package  for  10c.  The 
grass  seeds  should  be  sown  in  places  where  their  growth  can  be  conveni- 
ently watched,  so  that  each  grower  can  determine  for  himself  which  ones 
should  be  largely  sown  the  following  year.  By  collecting  seed  from  a  small 
plot,  a  large  area  can  soon  be  secured. 

A  Green  Manure  Plant. 

Square  Pod  Pea:  Lotus  tetragonolobus — This  station  has  for  years  grown 
leguminous  plants  (clovers,  vetches,  lupins,  peas,  beans,  etc.),  with  a 
view  of  finding  some  plant,  with  the  power  of  absorbing  atmospheric 
nitrogen,  which  would  make  a  good  winter  growth  and  thus  be  fitted  for 
plowing  under  for  green  manure  while  the  soil  retained  moisture  enough  to 
promote  the  rapid  decay  of  the  vegetable  matter  thus  added  to  it.  Sev- 
eral plants  have  seemed  to  answer  these  requirements  in  varying  de- 
grees, but  were  for  one  or  another  reason  unsatisfactory.  Last  winter 
Director  Hilgard,  in  examining  a  number  of  foreign  legumes  in  our 
Economic  Garden,  found  one  whose  roots  were  fairly  incrusted  with 
tubercules,  implying  a  very  rapid  absorption  of  nitrogen  from  the  air. 
Continued  observation  shows  that  the  plant  combines  the  advantage  of 
quick  development,  being  an  annual  with  an  unusually  heavy  production 
of  herbage — the  latter,  in  two  different  plots,  having  been  at  the  rate  of 
24  and  26  tons  per  acre,  equal  to  about  five  tons  of  air-dry  hay.  While  its 
nitrogen  percentage  is  not  as  high  as  that  of  alfalfa  or  clover,  its  aggre- 
gate nitrogen  product  would  nevertheless  be  considerably  greater  than  in 
the  case  of  alfalfa  and  more  than  twice  as  great  as  with  burr  clover.  The 
plant  has  apparently  no  distinctive  common  name  (though  it  has  names 
which  apply  also  to  other  species),  and  Director  Hilgard  employs  the 
term  "  square  pod  pea  " — its  pod  being  four-sided  and  winged.  It  is  a 
native  of  southern  Europe,  where  it  is  grown  for  ornament  and  for  salad. 
The  seed  is  rather  large,  which  is  unfortunate,  for  it  increases  the  cost  of 
getting  a  thick  cover  of  the  plant  for  plowing  under.  Local  production 
of  the  seed  may,  however,  cheapen  it  sufficiently.  •  We  desire  this  winter 
to  have  the  plant  grown  by  many  orchardists  with  a  view  to  determining 
its  winter  growth  in  different  regions  and  its  general  suitability  for  a 
green  manure  crop;  also  by  dairymen  and  others  to  determine  its  value 
for  winter  feed.  The  seed  should  be  thinly  broadcast  on  newly  turned 
soil  and  raked  in.  Sown  in  January  it  should  be  ready  to  be  plowed  under 
in  May.  In  some  places  earlier  sowing  and  plowing  under  might  be  better. 
We  hope  to  determine  these  points  by  the  aid  of  our  correspondents  this 
winter.  We  have  ordered  a  supply  of  seed  from  Europe  which  we  hope  to 
receive  in  time.     Seed  in  packets,  5c  each. 

Table  Grapes  from  Persia. 

We  made  our  first  distribution  last  year  of  these  grapes,  but  our  supply 
was  exhausted  before  half  the  applicants  were  reached.  We  hope  this 
year  to  satisfy  at  least  those  who  were  disappointed  last  year  and  as 
many  more  as  possible.  The  grapes  of  the  table  lands  of  Persia  have  won 
praise  from  all  travelers  w;ho  have  eaten  them.  These  vines  are  of  the 
vitis  vinifera,  but  the  fruit  has  quite  a  distinctive  character  when  com- 
pared with  the  varieties  chiefly  grown  in  the  west  of  Europe.  Prof.  H. 
E.  Van  Deman,  ex-Pomologist  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture, 
secured,  through  the  kindly  aid  of  Hon.  E.  Spencer  Pratt,  ex-Minister  at 
Teheran,  an  importation  of  the  best  Persian  varieties.  These  vines  were 
in  part  entrusted  to  this  station.  Those  varieties  which  we  have  fruited 
ripen  very  early,  about  with  the  Sweetwater,  and  as  they  are  much  firmer 
fleshed  and  tougher  skinned  than  that  variety  they  may  prove  of  high 
value  for  early  shipping.  The  berries  of  the  varieties  we  have  fruited  thus 
far  are  of  large  size,  long-oval  form  and  good  quality.  We  offer  the  follow- 
ing varieties;  the  descriptions  are  imperfect,  as  some  have  not  yet  fruited: 

1 — Paykaynee  Bazukee:    Bright  red,  large,  long,  few  seeds. 
2 — Dizmar:    Light  yellow,  very  sweet,  long  tapering. 
3 — Khali  nice:    Said  to  be  the  earliest  in  Persia. 

4— Askaree:  Widely  grown  in  Persia  and  used  both  for  table  and  drying;  black,  re- 
sembling Cornichon  but  considerably  calicr. 


o—Rish  Baba:  Also  a  leading  variety  in  the  Orient  for  table  and  drying  and  said  to 
keep  until  spring. 

6—Hutab:    A  large,  sweet  grape. 

7—Shiraz :  Named  for  one  of  the  most  important  grape  rigions  of  Persia,  where  it  is 
a  leading  sort. 

S—Alhakahee :    Red,  said  to  be  suited  for  long  keeping. 
9 — Chavooshee :    Green,  a  rare  variety  in  Persia. 
10—  White  Shahanee:    Large,  oblong,  light  color. 
11— Black  Shahanee :    Presumably  like  the  preceding  except  in  color. 
12 — Unnamed  Varieties:      We  have  eight  varieties  which  in  the  importation  were  de- 
signated only  by  numerals.     It  is  impossible   to  ascertain  their  names.     They  ar#  pre- 
sumably as  desirable  as  the  others.     We  desire  to  have  them  as  widely   tried.    After 
fruiting  it  may  be  possible  to  name  them  if  good  Persian  descriptions  can  be  obtained. 
If  not  they  may  be  given  local  names. 

We  will  send  one  vine  of  each  kind  at  the  rate  of  five  cents  for  each 
variety  ordered,  by  mail,  postpaid. 

Italian  Wine  Grapes. 

We  have  propagated  for  distribution  an  important  collection  of  upward 
of  40  valuable  Italian  grape  varieties  imported  in  1891  by  this  station 
through  the  kindness  of  Count  G.  di  Rovasenda  of  Turin,  the  well  known 
Italian  ampelographer.  We  will  send  on  application  a  named  list  of  the 
varieties  we  offer.  The  rooted  vines  will  be  sent  hy  mail  at  the  rate  of  5c 
per  vine,  or  by  express  at  25c  per  dozen;  express  charges  to  be  paid  by 
receiver. 

Olive  Cuttings  or  Scions. 

To  oblige  many  correspondents  who  ask  for  small  specimen  lots  of  cut- 
tings for  experimental  purposes  we  offer  the  olive  varieties  named  below 
We  cannot  furnish  large  quantities:  they  must  be  had  from  the  nursery- 
man. We  merely  offer  a  few  scions  of  each  kind  to  those  who  wish  to 
graft  for  study  of  varieties.  Ordinary  top  grafting  with  a  good  waxed 
band  drawn  very  tight  and  all  exposed  wood  or  split  bark  carefully 
covered,  usually  succeeds  well.  Grafting  should  be  done  when  the  spring 
growth  is  starting  on  the  stock. 

l—Hervaza:  Large,  black;  a  trifle  larger  than  the  Manzanillo,  equally  well  adapted 
for  oil  or  pickles. 

2—Macrocarpa :    Very  large,  pink;  used  only  for  green  pickles. 
3 — Pleureur  de  Grasse :    Large,  black ;  fine  for  ripe  pickles  or  high  grade  oil. 
4— Manzanillo  :    Large,  black ;  well  adapted  for  both  oil  and  pickles. 
5 — Regalis :     Medium  to  large ;  for  pickling. 

6 — Lucques:  Large*  crescent-shaped,  black ;  good  quality  oil  but  especially  adapted 
for  pickles  on, account  of  fine  flavor. 

7 — Polymorphs :    Very  large,  pinkish;  used  only  for  green  pickles. 
8 — Mission :    Above  medium  size  ;  equally  well  adapted  for  ripe  pickles  or  fine  oil. 
9— Razzo :     Small,  black ;  very  rich  in  oil  of  highest  quality. 
10 — Rubra:     Medium  size,  black;  equally  suitable  for  ripe  pickles  and  oil. 
11 — Columbella :    Above  medium  size,  pinkish-yellow ;  equally  suited  for  pickles  or  oil. 
Pickles  readily. 
12— Corriggiolo  :     Small,  black;  very  rich  in  the  highest  quality  oil. 
13 — Atroviolacea :    Medium  size,  black;  suited  for  oil,   ripe  pickles,    but  especially 
adapted  for.  ripe  dry  olives. 
14 — Atrorubens :     Medium  size,  black. 
15 — Prcecox :     Small  or  medium  size,  black. 

16 — Nevadillo  Blanco  :     Medium  size,   black ;   well  suited  for  either  oil  or  ripe  pickles; 
Susceptible  to  frost  injury. 
17 — Obliza :    Large,  black ;  well  suited  for  oil  or  ripe  pickles. 
16—Piangente :     Medium  size,  black ;  good  bearer,  for  oil. 
19— Leccino  :     Small,  black,  hardy ;  for  oil. 

We  will  mail  the  above  at  the  rate  of  six  scions  of  a  kind  for  15c;  we  can- 
not furnish  more  than  six  scions  of  a  single  kind  to  one  applicant.  Two 
scions  of  each  kind  will  be  mailed  for  35c  per  doz. 

An  Ornamental  Fruiting  Shrub. 

Tree  Tomato  of  Jamaica:  Solatium  betacewn. — This  plant  is  a  native  of 
Central  America  and  is  grown  in  semi-tropical  South  America  and  in 
the  Mediterranean  region.  Mr.  D.  Morris,  of  Kew  Gardens,  London,  de- 
scribes the  plant  as  of  shrubby  habit,  growing  5  or  6  feet  high,  with  large, 
shining  leaves,  often  a  foot  long.  The  flowers  are  fragrant,  of  a  pale 
flesh  color,  with  yellow  stamens,  and  are  followed  by  fruit  the  shape  and 
size  of  a  duck's  egg;  at  first  of  a  purple   tint  but  gradually  assuming  a 


—  8  — 

warm  reddish  color  as  it  ripens.  When  ripe  the  fruit  may  be  used  raw  as 
a  tomato  is:  if  the  skin  is  removed  and  the  fruit  stewed  with  sugar  it  has 
a  slight  sub-acid  flavor  which  is  very  refreshing. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  I.  H.  Cammack,  of  Whittier,  Los  Angeles 
county,  for  a  supply  of  fruit  from  which  we  take  the  seed  for  distribution. 
A  photograph  shows  that  Mr.  Cammack  trims  up  his  plants  to  tree  form 
and  with  their  large  glossy  leaves  and  showy  fruit  they  must  be  very 
handsome.  The  plants  bear  the  second  year  from  the  seed  and  the  fruit 
ripems  continuous^  for  several  months.  It  is  not  expected  that  the  fruit 
will  be  of  any  commercial  importance,  but  may  be  popular  for  home  use, 
and  the  plant  will  be  acceptable  to  all  who  enjoy  striking  semi-tropical 
vegetation.  The  seeds  should  be  started  just  as  are  those  of  the  common 
tomato  and  the  plants  set  out  eight  or  ten  feet  apart.  We  send  small 
packets  of  seed,  2c  each. 

Canaigre  or  Tanner's  Dock. 

Interest  is  constantly  increasing  in  this  plant,  which  we  have  grown  at 
Berkeley  for  the  last  ten  years  or  more.  Bulletin  105  of  this  Station,  just 
issued,  treats  of  this  plant  and  its  culture  in  detail,  and  copies  will  be 
mailed  to  all  applicants.  During  the  present  year  the  planting  of 
canaigre  has  been  strongly  advocated  in  southern  California  and  enter- 
prises for  growing  and  manufacture  of  extract  are  now  projected.  The 
plant  is  commonly  grown  from  cuttings  of  the  small  roots,  but  grows 
readily  from  seed  which  is  scattered  on  moist  ground  and  slightly  covered. 
We  send  seed  for  5c  per  packet. 

Rice  and  Sugar  Cane. 

During  the  last  year  there  has  been  increased  interest  in  the  growth  of 
these  plants  on  the  moist  lands  in  the  interior  of  the  State.  We  offer 
them  again  as  follows : 

Rice. — Rice  has  been  grown  this  year  on  moist  land  without  flooding. 
Where  the  soil  is  kept  wet  by  irrigation  or  by  seepage  the  plant  has  been 
found  to  make  satisfactory  growth.  In  growing  rice  without  the  use  of 
standing  water,  weeds  must  be  destroyed  by  cultivation  and  hand  pulling 
from  the  rows.  Sow  the  rice  as  early  as  can  be  done  without  risk  of  frost, 
in  drills  three  or  four  feet  apart  if  for  horse  cultivation  or  two  feet  apart 
if  to  be  worked  by  hand.  Keep  the  soil  clear  of  weeds  and  as  moist 
as  may  be  feasible.     Seed  in  one- pound  sacks,  15c  each. 

Sugar  Cane. — Sugar  cane  planted  last  March  by  the  U.  S.  Department 
of  Agriculture  at  its  station  on  Union  Island,  has  made  a  first  year's 
growth  which  experts  pronounce  satisfactory.  To  those  who  desire  to  try 
the  plant  on  a  small  scale  we  can  send  cuttings,  which  should  be  laid  hori- 
zontally and  wholly  covered  with  about  three  inches  of  soil.  As  cane  is 
heavy  the  charge  will  be  25c  per  package  by  mail. 

Miscellaneous. 

Melde's  Perennial  Bean. — A  handsome,  large,  white  bean,  with  a  perennial 
root,  from  which  climbing  runners  start  each  year.     Seed  3c  per  package. 

Irvine*  Hybrid  Perennial  Bean. — Originated  on  the  Station  grounds  and 
believed  to  be  a  cross  between  the  Painted  Lady  and  the  Lima.  It  is 
larger  than  Melde's  bean,  plump,  pure  white.     Seed  3c  per  package. 

New  Zealand  SpinacJi  {Tetragonia  expansa). — A  good  culinary  herb,  and 
as  useful  for  restraining  drifting  sands;  growing  even  during  severest  heat 
and  drouth.     Seed  3c  per  package. 

Zig-Zag  Sweet  Com. — A  variety  received  from  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture.     Very  promising.     Seed  3c  per  package. 

Hackett's  Australian  Wheat. — A  fine  variety  sent  us  by  E.  W.  Hackett, 
of  Adelaide,  South  Australia.  •  It  proves  with  us  a  very  strong  growing  and 
prolific  sort.     Seed  in  one-pound  sacks,  15c  each  by  mail. 

Amplication  for  seeds  and  plants  should  be  made  as  soon  as  this 
announcement  is  received.  We  expect  to  send  our  seeds  about  January  1, 
and  plants  about  February  1.       Address  E.  J.  Wicks'on,  Berkeley,  Cal. 

December  10,  189 % 

j.  F.  hau.ouax.  230 Market  St..  san  Francisco.  Cal. 


